Bengaluru: Hate crime, specially against ‘outsiders’ is on the rise in IT city. In yet another incident, a group of students from Kerala were targeted and beaten up by locals at Bhoopasandra under Sanjaynagar police station limits in the city on Saturday.

This is the second incident targeting the Keralites, after the February 14 episode where four students from Kerala were allegedly assaulted in Shanthinagar for drinking tea sitting on a pavement.

On Saturday, one of the youths, Marvin Michael Joy, a Bachelor of Business Management student in a local College suffered severe head injuries.

The youth, who was initially taken to Bowring Hospital, was later referred to NIMHANS.

It all began when Marvin had gone out to buy food around 11 pm. When he came out of the eatery, someone had punctured the tyres of his motorcycle. When Marvin asked the men standing nearby if they knew who had done it, they picked up a brawl, accusing and abusing Marvin for being a ‘Keralite’.

When Marvin pushed his bike and reached home, at about 1 am, the same gang reached Marvin’s accommodation and picked up a fight again.

Eyewitnesses said that while the gang slapped a few, Marvin was severely beaten up.

The students have alleged the police of being biased and not taking up the case on time.

At the same time, a private hospital in Sanjaynagar reportedly refused to treat Marvin saying it was a police case.

With no choice, the students decided to think about the complaint later and rushed Marvin to Bowring Hospital, from where he was referred to NIMHANS.

Though, the incident was initially given a ‘beef’ angle, both the police and the students denied the same.